(Photo courtesy Gospel For Asia)
SE Asia (GFA/MNN) — Have you ever had a dream that changed your life? For a woman in SE Asia the answer is yes! Tambura, a mother who firmly believes in worshipping higher deities, cleansing herself and burning incense in front of a god’s image, experienced a life changing moment.
Tambura’s daughter, Paadini, also believed in the gods and rituals to please the gods, but nothing seemed to give her peace. Paadini became very ill and none of the gods her family believed in healed or helped her. Paadini went to talk to a neighbor who shared Christ with her, but it only confused her more. Intrigued by this Jesus talk, she started to attend church led by a Gospel for Asia pastor. Over time she began to understand who Jesus was and when God healed her sickness, she decided to follow Him.
Once healed, Paadini continually prayed for her mother to know Christ and fasted twice a day hoping her prayers and actions would change her mother’s heart. Tambura, disappointed in her daughter’s new faith, constantly refused to believe in what she thought was a lesser being than her gods, and would not budge in changing her beliefs.
Day after day Paadini set aside a handful of rice so that she could fast and pray for her mother to come to know Christ. After getting tired of watching Paadini’s actions of fasting, Tambura decided to put the rice back in the jar, but in the process she mysteriously slipped and fell breaking her right hand. Paadini still continued to pray for her mother and shared the news of Jesus with her, but Tambura refused to listen. God decided to get ahold of Tambura’s attention. Tambura suddenly began to have difficulty breathing and medicine or appeasing the gods didn’t do the trick.
One night as Tambura slept she had a dream. In her dream, three beggars stood knocking at her door. When she opened the door, Tambura told them she had nothing to offer them because she was very poor herself—and she was sick to boot. Still the men insisted that she offer them something to eat, so she welcomed them inside and told them that if they were willing to eat just a handful of rice, she would be happy to serve them. After eating the rice, the beggars began to leave, but one turned back toward Tambura. “For the kindness you have shown toward us, I want to reward you,” the man said. “You will be healed from your sickness. Do not harden your heart anymore, but trust in Me. I am Jesus Christ, whom you refused to welcome into your heart.”
Tambura woke up and told Paadini of her dream and then prayed and accepted Jesus Christ into her life. Just as Jesus came to Paadini when she was ill, He came to Tambura in her sickness as well.
While Tambura and her daughter rejoice in their new faith, other believers across Asia continue to fast and pray for their families to know Christ as well. You can team up with our partner, Gospel for Asia, and pray that God will bring the people into God’s light. To get connected, you can visit
